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1989 Jeep Comanche 4.0L in-line 6, Manual 4wd, rear axle d35 3.08 Located in Wisconsin Still drives but for now only in 4wd Exterior: purple, Interior: Dark red w/ bench, Floor shift

This is my first attempt at completely rebuilding/restoring a vehicle. I have no previous mechanic experience. I was curious if anyone would give me some advice on the process. What needs to be done first? I have drained most of the fluids. Removing the gas tank is next. But after that, do I just clear everything out underneath the hood? How do I check to see if I need to replace my engine (supposedly it has a cracked head gasket; and if its not terrible I should be able to replace it, correct?). I am open to any suggestions. I am flying blind on this one. I have checked YouTube for help, and found a few videos; but nothing showing the entire process of rebuilding and restoring. Any direction to a website or video would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Just a slideshow and video of a 2.8l GM engine I rebuilt for engine repair class, from blown headgasket and milkshake coolant/oil to successfully running and holding oil pressure.

Now as long as i can remember i've know this truck, dad gave it too me recently as he won't do anything with him, YES it's a him! Hey i'm new and just recently started on the jeep, it needs some work, mostly body, but runs good, even after my teenage torture test i put it thru years ago. gonna keep you guys updated, i love this truck and all manche's

Finally getting around to starting this process. Picked up my second Jeep last summer (2016), MJ Pioneer, I-6, Manual, 4x4, Short Box. Mechanically in great shape. Some rust, of course, minor dents and dings, interior is pretty rough. I've wanted a great truck, so I will make this one great. Here is where I started from:

Is this a good kit? <AX15 Master Rebuild Kit - Power Torque> Does it include everything I need? Also, any good how-to's or DIY tutorials that y'all know about for a first time rebuilder?

Hi guys havent been on here in a while but its summer now and work on the truck begins once more. So ever since I have had the truck it has run rough. It has gotten rougher and rougher over the years. Its at the point where it won't start without some gas and then it won't remain at idle without gas. After it has warmed up itll idle okay, but still pretty rough.' So i took it to a basic auto shop to check it out. They found that one of the cylinders compressions is at around 25lbs which is what they said was low comparable to what they said it should be like all the other 3 is 150lbs. So its been practically running on 3 cylinders. I presume it will eventually just get worse. Do you think it would be worth the rebuild of the engine? My comanche is stock I use it for travel at school. I have one year left of school and I am hoping to have this running for a couple more years while I get my first job and settle down without worrying about a new car payment just yet. I have done routine maintenance on this thing, and have done a lot of work on it. Put a whole new exhaust on it. I put in a new radiator, water pump, and numerous other things. It doesnt have A/c nor power steering so there will never be those kind of problems. Its pretty basic and I'm thinking the rebuild of the engine really would nothing else to break, hopefully. What would be the estimated price to go take this engine to be rebuilt? and after the rebuild how much would you expect it to still run for? Thank you in advance for your help!

Hey guys, New to the forums here - Glad to find a club specifically dedicated to these diamonds. For my 22nd birthday my dad bought me a 1988 Comanche 4x4 4.0 5 speed for $140 and some old rock sliders off of my XJ (Pavement Princess doesn't need them.) THE FUN STARTS HERE. Let's break down first impressions. She's missing the whole header panel and passenger side fender. The windshield is cracked. The seat is out of a Grand Caravan, and is secured to the floor with... nothing. It's resting on a piece of wood thats deck screwed into the pan. There is some god-awful form of makeshift wiring harness in the front... I mean nightmareish. The fuel pump is powered by a toggle switch thats mounted in the dash, and it's wired backwards. The Steering column looks like it's out of a 90's model XJ and the dash is spray painted black and red. She doesn't have a tailgate, passenger window, or taillights... I WAS IN LOVE. The Speedometer (Which I later found to be 100% accurate) reads 379,000 miles... Wow. That's a lot even for the venerable 4.0. The young man I was purchasing it from did not have the title but had purchased it from a friend of mine, who apparently had the title. The reason my friend originally bought the MJ was my original XJ that he loved. Interesting how all of the people can be connected in a small town. 5 Speed - I hope it's not the peugot, but I haven't had any better luck with my AX-15's either. We go to pick up a U-haul car trailer from town to tow it home. By now with all of the project Jeeps and Volkswagens we've paid them to tow, we could've bought two cheap car haulers. They refuse to rent it to us, because my mom's 2000 Grand Cherokee V8 4x4 apparently isn't strong enough to haul a Comanche (Which was complete BULLSH*%, as they had rented me a trailer a year prior to haul an XJ with the same vehicle and trailer type...) We went across town to a more Redneck-Friendly U-haul yard. The woman has also rented me a trailer for ANOTHER XJ with the same configuration and never given me a hard time. She followed suit in this case as well, bless her little heart. We go to pick it up - The kid wants the battery and tires back. I told him I would bring them back that night, and he reluctantly let me pull it up on to the trailer. While driving it, I noticed the brakes are done, Which I expected from the get -go. I got it home, and immediately swapped the tires with my superior spare set, pulled his battery, loaded them into my Grand Cherokee and brought them promptly back to his house 6 hours after picking up the truck, in the pitch black, in the middle of tweaker-ville. He later texted me to say that I had restored his faith in humanity for keeping my word, and as a reward he would track down the original bench seat on his property. Still haven't heard back on that one, going on three weeks now... The good list is short. The body that's still there is not in bad shape. The frame is straight. I pulled the horrendous seat and mount, and inspected the interior for rust- Nothing but some slight surface rust. Easily stoppable with some sanding and rust reformer (My primer of choice). She runs, and has a very good amount of power. The transfer case is flawless, and my god can this old girl climb. Now, I do NOT plan on wheeling her, but making her able to if needs be. There weren't enough of these things made to justify that - I'd buy another XJ first... But even in her neutered and stock form I was able to climb a rock face by my pond that not even my beefiest XJ could ever climb... The love grows. The bad list, including the above initial things I noticed, runs deep. I discovered it was being prepared and stripped to become a pre-runner or tough truck. The front suspension looks to have been stripped down a tad. The wiring harnesses are messy as hell. The Fuse block is damaged in the footwell, and definitely Needs to be replaced. So here's my plan: Full, ground up tear down and wiring replacement. Body, paint, and interior. Going either black or silver. Front end 97+ XJ upgrade. Customized bed- Possible removable camping setup- this will be in the future but I really want to experiment. POSSIBLE High output conversion. If I go this route, i'm going to try to find a 91-96 XJ and rip all of the wiring and drivetrain out of it and swap it. She's getting the works in regards to Power and accessories- roof console with temp gauge, power doors and locks, 2 door XJ Bucket seats. While I'm fixing the suspension and such I will be lifting her anywhere from 2 to 4.5 inches. This all depends on pricing and such. I may leave it stock height and focus on tanking it out. I'd like experiment with body armor. Various other odds and ends. The fun part so far has been tracking down the title. The DMV understandably believes that anyone trying to find the last registered owner of a vehicle is a stalker and cannot be trusted. I was able to find out that there is a lien on the title from a dealership that no longer exists. after spending a solid few hours on the phone with the Secretary of State I was able to receive a signed and notarized form stating that they no longer exist, which in effect makes this null and void and should no longer cause an issue with the titling process. After many days of hunting I was able to find the last Gentleman that owned the MJ - Turns out I got lucky. He is incredibly friendly, glad to see that she hasn't been destroyed completely by tweakers and is doing everything he can to find the title. The truck was originally purchased Brand-New off the lot in Grants Pass, OR by his grandmother. Finding this out is incredibly cool... I've never owned a vehicle that I can trace the full lines of ownership with. This is how I found out it really has 380k miles, and still runs as well as it does. He also says he has some parts laying around, and only asked that he could keep the glove box lock he stole from it in his s-10 ad to receive updates on the progress of the MJ as I bring it back (He almost invited me to his wedding, though we had never met.. I was more than happy to oblige, considering the possible hell he is willing to go through to help me track down the title. So there it is! Much more to share and update later, but for now the fun begins. I live in Eugene, and travel back to Grants Pass (2.25 hour drive) at least 4 times a month, where the MJ is located. For now, I'm going to start collecting parts and research all of my options. If you folks have any input to offer, or helpful advice, feel free to shoot me a message. Hope you enjoyed the abridged version of my adventure so far - Cheers!

Anyone know a reliable mechanic that can help me rebuild my 88 Jeep Comanche in Manhattan KS??? I'm new in the area and desperately need help!!!!

I am about to order parts to regear my Dana 44, I have a mechanic who is going to do the install for about $250, i just need the parts the D44 is getting an open carrier because i bought an Aussie locker a several months back.. i want to use it... and i think the hole for the cross shaft roll pin was damaged causing the roll pin to come out and destroy my diff.... before i place an order does everything look correct. do i need to add anything? Dana 44 P/N - from rockauto.com USA20115 - $87.79 - Standard Open Carrier Case spline, 3.73 & down, bare. This case includes carrier Shims, roll pin, ring Gear bolts and a cover gasket. ZGD44354 - $125.79 - Ring & Pinion Gear Set w/ 3.54 ratio from 4wd.com (clickable link or use the spoiler) Dana 44 master rebuild kit - $118.99 Total cost: $332.57 I am keeping the 3.54 ratio because i can't swing the cost to regear the front and rear to 4.10 Thanks

We are three highschool students with a yearlong project of fixing our school's autoshop truck. We have made a fair bit of progress and we joined this forum to find answers to Comanche specific questions and to keep track of our progress.